Category Archives: Art

Golden Pothos

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Earthoak

Golden Pothos, more commonly known as ‘Devil’s Ivy’, or to give it its scientific name, Epipremnum Aureum, is an evergreen vine native to the Pacific Islands.

Posted in Art, Nature | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

End of 2020 and The Shire in Winter – Painting in Acrylic

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Earthoak

What a difficult year 2020 has been for everyone, the world over. I have heard of much grief and loss – and what is more, loss that cannot be mourned in the normal way. I learned many things this year … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Tolkien | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Apples in Watercolour and Tolkien

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Earthoak

This post is about watercolour and apples in the first half, with a connection to the Lord of the Rings in the second half.

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Drawing of Bilbo at Smaug’s Lair

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Earthoak

This drawing is the companion to this one. It needs very little explanation, I hope, but it is of course Bilbo Baggins at the entrance of Smaug’s Lair in the Lonely Mountain. It is the exact opposite to the first … Continue reading →

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Part 4, Reading and Drawing The Lord of the Rings: On Fear, Knowledge and Power

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Earthoak

At last, a new blogpost, to (nearly) coincide with Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday! This is the second and last post on The Shadow of the Past…I’ve narrowed it down to a few themes, but there is so much more that could … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Literature, Tolkien | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Tolkien’s Art and How it Influenced His Writing: Drawing to Discover

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Earthoak

Tolkien’s artwork, rather than his writing, was my first gateway to Middle-earth; so Jeffrey J. MacLeod’s and Anna Smol’s recent article “Visualizing the Word: Tolkien as Artist and Writer” (Tolkien Studies, volume 14) is of particular interest to me.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Tolkien, Writing | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

The Art of Ted Nasmith

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Earthoak

I’m a big admirer of Ted Nasmith’s Tolkien artwork, I’ve blogged about it a few times here. So it was a joy to come across J Glover’s blog reviewing some of Nasmith’s most evocative paintings. Well worth a read, the … Continue reading →

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Middle-earth on the back of an envelope: Sketch of Thorin and Others

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Earthoak

Every now and again it’s fun to opt for something less wordy here at the blog.  Middle-earth usually provides the inspiration. I have a habit of doodling on random bits of paper I find – very often it will be the proverbial … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Tolkien | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments